Keeping Food and Water Safe During Hurricanes and Other Disasters

Article By:Monica L. Bonsett
Family and Consumer Sciences Educator

We are well into the Hurricane Season, which began June 1 and ends November 30. Hurricane Bertha was the first hurricane of this Atlantic Season and didn't make landfall in the U.S., but, we should not become complacent. We need to take seriously the need to get ready, as experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted back in May that "projected climate conditions point to a near normal or above normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this year". We know that we must be prepared in case the next one comes our way. Advanced planning helps us to meet the challenges we face in a disaster.

Maintaining a safe food and water supply is critical during a disaster in order to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Unfortunately when the power goes out for an extended period of time, keeping food and water safe becomes more difficult.

Hopefully we've planned ahead and packed at least a 3 day supply of shelf-stable food and water for everyone in the household, including pets. There are many resources to assist with preparing a disaster kit. For more information on building a disaster kit go to www.fema.gov or www.ready.gov.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides the following steps that will help you safeguard food during power outages that are likely to occur with natural disasters:

• Purchase freezer and refrigerator thermometers and keep them in these appliances at all times. You will always be able to determine the temperature inside, which will make assessing the safety of food much easier.
• Verify that the freezer is at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below and the refrigerator is at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
• Freeze containers of water to be used after the power goes out to keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers.
• If there are items in your refrigerator that you won't need immediately, consider freezing these items (leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry). In this way, you can keep them at a safe temperature longer following the power outage.
• Find out, before a storm threatens, where to buy dry ice or block ice.
• Store food on shelves out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.
• Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours.
• Arrange food together in the freezer—so it will stay colder longer.

During and after the hurricane, resist the urge to keep opening the refrigerator or freezer to check inside. It will stay colder if you keep the door closed as much as possible.
An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for approximately four hours. A full freezer will stay colder longer than a freezer that is only half full. Again the door needs to remain closed, but a full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours while a half full freezer will maintain temperature for about 24 hours. Food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below can be safely refrozen. If a thermometer isn't kept in the freezer, then you have to check each food item individually to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe. Abide by the slogan "when in doubt, throw it out!" You never want to taste any food to determine its safety. You can't taste bacteria and if it is contaminated you may become very sick yourself. If you have been without power for four hours, discard refrigerated perishable foods such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers, and deli items. Don't take a chance with your family's health.

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